I am trying to find out how to make homuny. I have found a method that requires the use of lye. But I have read about a method that uses baking soda. Any help that you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

-- Katrina Ninness (kittle1@otbnet.com), September 23, 1999

Answers

I found a hominy recipe in Carla Emery's County Living book. It is as follows:

"Boiled Soda Method Hominy: For each 2 gal. shelled corn, use 1/3 c. baking soda and 1 gal. water. Make sure you have enough liquid to cover your corn kernels with at least 2 inches over. Remember each grain will puff up to 3 or 4 times the dried size, so allow for expansion. Use a big pan like a 5-gal. granite (enamel ware) canner or an iron kettle. Don't use aluminum, copper, tin or zinc. Optional: Let soak overnight before commencing to boil. Now boil corn heavily about 2 hours - until you can feel the hulls slip off when you pick up the corn in your fingers. While boiling, keep covered. Add more water if needed.

This is the ticklish thing: The hulls are too coarse to eat and have to come off, but when the hulls slip, there is nothing to protect the corn from the soda water. So drain the soda water off before the hulls come off so the soda won't leach out all the good stuff in the corn. Replace the soda water with fresh water. Now it increases in volume. Change the water at least one more time, more if you like. When the corn has doubled in bulk, wash it very hard in a continuous flow of water in a dishpan or colander, rubbing it with your hands to let out the hulls. (Beware of clogging the sink!) Don't worry about the black spot at the bottom of the kernel. It's just the end of the germ showing.

Pour fresh water over the corn and cook again. You could add salt and sweetening at this time, or wait to do that until serving time. Add salt to taste, and maybe 2 heaping tablespoons of sugar or honey for sweetening. Cook until you can comfortably chew the kernels. It will be done after about 4 hours of boiling. Cool. Drain.

To freeze, now's the time. Just package and freeze. (To use frozen hominy, just thaw it in water; then drain off the water and continue by your favorite hominy recipe.)..."

-- Tammy in Maine (btawilliams@ainop.com), October 01, 1999.